Theft Deterrent System at Product Display Area with Targeted Advertising

Abstract

A theft deterrent system and method at a product display area. In a preferred embodiment, the system displays video of customers on a public view monitor (PVM) located near the product display area in response to detecting customer interactions with the products in the product display area. The system also provides target advertising via audio messages and video messages displayed on the PVM in response to detecting the interactions. The system enhances customer shopping experience by providing welcoming messages as the customers approach the product display area while also deterring would-be thieves, and provides upsell capability by sending audio and video advertising messages for related products to the PVM in response to product retrieval attempts such as “reach-ins” or selection of the products.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 831,427, filed on Jun. 5, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Owners of retail establishments are under a constant struggle to provide consumers with a range of products at competitive prices and a pleasant shopping experience while also controlling cost. A major factor that increases the cost of products is loss of product due to theft, also known as “shrinkage” especially for high-value items. While thefts include “smash and grab” incidents involving single individuals, a growing number of thefts are associated with groups of individuals working together, referred to as organized retail crime (ORC). Increasingly, retail establishments are deploying theft deterrent systems at product display areas to combat product loss and the growing threat of ORC.[0003]Current theft deterrent systems use a variety of...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a deterrent to theft in a retail setting by using a public view monitor (PVM) and videos of customers interacting with the product display area. This system notifies store personnel of customer interactions and can even infer potential theft. The system can also provide audio and video messages to customers at the product display area, promoting a better shopping experience and serving as a cost-effective alternative to traditional surveillance systems. The system can also present targeted advertising messages and enhance the retail experience for customers while promoting product sales. The notification components allow for a responsive loss prevention system that can assist legitimate customers or counteract theft.

Problems solved by technology

A fundamental tradeoff in the design and implementation of theft deterrent designs is to strike a balance between deterring and mitigating shoplifting and organized retail crime while also not discouraging legitimate sales.

The current solutions for deterring theft at product display areas have a number of problems.

This reduces the effectiveness of surveillance as a theft deterrent.

Product lockdown strategies not only inhibit sales of the items under lockdown, but also discourage consumers from buying other products.

It is also expensive and cumbersome to deactivate in many applications.

Active inventory management systems which employ RFID and similar technology for unique identification of the product unit are also expensive and add complexity to the sales process.

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